Sandra Bullock

$51 millionMovies based on original ideas, as opposed to comic books or young adult novels, are rare these days in Hollywood. Movies based on original ideas that cost $100 million to produce and feature one actress for the majority of the screen time are even rarer but director Alfonso Cuaron and Warner Bros. had a huge hit with "Gravity." Much of that success can be chalked up to Sandra Bullock's gripping performance as Ryan Stone. Not only did the film win seven Oscars but it also helped Bullock become this year's highest-paid actress.